Branching Out
by Weirdlet
Summary: Predators search for new prey. Please review.


Branching Out

I own nothing (Darn it).

The bowels of the hunting-ship were humid, dark, and hot.Creatures out of a nightmare slept deeply, the only evidence of life the gentle rise and fall of deep, heavy-muscled chests, and the soft rumble of breath through muscular throats.Occasionally a green and gray and brown limb twitched, or a mandible clicked sleepily, as dreams of the not too distant future filled the large, bony skulls.

Exploration was the game this expedition, not the hunt.But this was just as important, if not more so, because without new territories to hunt, and new prey to pursue, where would be the challenge?Those going had an important task, and if they found a hospitable environment and worthwhile quarry, would be praised, honored, and highly sought as breeding partners.

One stirred in his sleep, shifting his head so his teeth didn't press into his arm.He was a little young, at only sixty of his years, a hundred and ten or so by the standards of his last hunting ground.The small, odd skull that resulted from that hunt grinned among his trophies, two-eyed, more brain space than most beasts its size, and with teeth that made one wonder why it was such a challenge.But the challenge was in the brain case, the intelligence and determination, and the hunt had been one that still rang through the male's dreams.

But not this particular dream.His sleeping mind wandered, over the many possibilities of the new creatures they might find.Strange, half-real beasts flitted in and out of his dreamings, some horned like the sacrifice beasts herded by his clan, some with tentacles and shells like the little creatures that swam the waters of his home fen.Some of the creatures conjured by his imagination were completely unknown, mixed of memories of so many beasts that no one feature could be identified.

The dreams slid into more usual fare, and the slight twitches of the dreaming hunter subsided.Around him, the bulky, sleeping bodies still moved, processing their own sleepy imaginings of the planet to come.

Hours went by, the heat and damp never changing, nor the lack of visible light.But some change must have indicated that it was time to wake, for the sleeping bodies stirred, warmed and started moving.The explorers, amphibious skins absorbing the mist around them, stretched like cats, spreading jaws and mandibles wide in the guttural, snore-like sounds that constituted yawns.One shoved another who still slept, and the late riser went through the same extensive stretches as he cast off the last shreds of sleep.

The hunters-turned-explorers stretched further, practiced, checked on various equipment and ship-functions.Some sharpened blades, heating the metal with a laser to make it soft enough to alter.Others made sure the small, portable panels to record glyphs on were functioning, that they might record what they found.Anticipation was high as they finished their duties and ate, knowing it would be the last meal before landing.

The tension in the air had the flavors of anxiety and excitement.Many compulsively checked their gear again, made sure all the computer parts were functioning, the metals unweakened.Unable to find any work undone, any function to check once more, some played a game of chance with what looked like metal cubes on an oddly shaped, deep-carved board.Each cast the cubes and murmured to each other of where they fell.Small bones and shells changed claws, from their earliest hunts, those as children in the swamps chasing the little edible creatures that swam the waters.

Sooner than the tall explorers would have guessed, the new and unknown planet rose up to meet them.Bracing themselves, they felt impact, narrowly avoiding piercing their cheeks as their mandibles cracked together.No matter how many times one space-traveled, the experience of landing remained the same-something best not described in polite company. 

The male who had dreamed of new creatures rubbed his jaw from where it had impacted itself.He grew to like landing less and less as time went by, and he'd only been hunting off the home planet ten of his years.Eh.One did not become a successful hunter, or much of anything else for that matter, by avoiding minor discomforts like this.But now was not time for thought; they had to prepare to set out and search for prey.

Their gear was stored in what traditionally served as their trophy rooms.However, this trip was quite possible not to yield any new prizes, but there was always the chance, and that was what they sought.

The tall, muscular creatures started the complex process of arming and armoring themselves.They worked quietly, slipping into the netting of wires that laid the groundwork for a field of bent light that reflected what was behind them.Several nervously traced the thin scars at the sides of their fingers, remnants of the webbing they'd been born with.It was an old habit, one seen in youngling and elder alike.But the gesture of subtle disquiet halted as they pulled on their gauntlets, the blades freshly sharpened, the wirings all in perfect condition.The arrangements of metal and a leathery substance that resisted cutting covered their clan-scars, the raised marks right behind the back of the wrist.One by one, they tested that the blades would extend and retract without sticking, an easy flick of the wrist releasing several inches of serrated metal.

The metal coverings went over shoulder, thigh, foot and lower leg.All contained either a weapon or some other useful device, like the medical kit over the upper back.They were careful to avoid covering the large spur at the back of the heel, used in the home swamps to aid in climbing the huge trees that shaded the waters.Though rarely used as such, the sharp spur was effective as a weapon as well as tree climbing.

The netting was anchored by the armor, at the wrists by the gauntlets, the calves by the ankle-guards, and at the throat by what resembled thick, connected rings.The throat armor was actually commonly worn on the home planet, guarding what was technically a very vulnerable spot.They had three major arteries in the neck, as well as the tube that served as esophagus and windpipe, and the muscle and skin tissue there was little protection.The vertebrae were strong enough to take care of themselves, but the soft tissue was just that; soft.It was very necessary to guard their throats.

The shoulder armor held several things, and thus it was more bulky than the other sections.It had the shoulder cannon, as well as the medical kit, the batteries for the functions of the armor, and a large supply of highly compressed air suitable for breathing.They had trained in wearing these, so that by this stage of their lives the hunters barely noticed the weight.

The last part of the armor was the mask-like helm, but that would wait for a short time more.The group of explorers in search of new prey would shortly set out to explore, leaving only a few behind to guard, but there was one more task left.

The mottled and striped explorers went to the small shrine.They had no room and no beasts for a sacrifice, and besides those reasons, they needed to all stay uninjured until the search for new prey began.They simply prayed to the Burning Goddess, hoped the Cold God would not ill fate the expedition, and placed their masks over their faces.

Connecting tubes and latching fasteners, the youngish male who had dreamed stood with his fellow hunters as the ship's entrance opened into the new planet they were to search.His hearts beat fast in anticipation as the door slid up, and he couldn't help giving a soft, trilling series of clicks in his eagerness to explore.Another hunter, elder, more experienced, and a nine-foot female, elbowed him but did not cuff him.

They walked into the new environment, noting that it was comfortably warm and mildly humid, and that there were tree-like plants that would be good for climbing and using as their own way through the area, where ground-creatures wouldn't see them.

Like a hunt, they would go their separate ways, leaving the ship guarded by a few and returning every few days to drop off trophies, or in this case, information.Each member of the group turned a different way and walked off, taking to the close-knit trees and spreading out.

. . .

The male, cloaked in the shell of bent light, perched on a tree branch.Even compared to the huge trees of his home, these were immense.Silently, he surveyed the ground below him.He'd so far found a few interesting creatures, but nothing very challenging, or even edible.All the explorers returned to the ship every few days to feed, because nothing on this planet so far would nourish them.

None of the other explorers had had any luck either.All they could find were large, extremely stupid plant eaters, and small, extremely annoying pests.The plant eaters didn't even panic, they just kept grazing and browsing unless one came close enough to touch it.Then they trotted off, or climbed higher, or swam away.But where plant eaters grazed, meat-eaters must follow.Although, frankly, a meat eater wouldn't have to be particularly fierce or intelligent to sneak up on these beasts; just quiet.

His musings were cut short.With no warning, a hand shoved him between the shoulder blades, and he tumbled off the branch, barely managing to catch hold of another.Swinging himself upward in an instant, he was perched on the branch looking upward, trying to see what had shoved him and ready to blast it.

There was nothing there.

Behind his mask, his mandibles clacked in confusion and frustration.Then, like mist, a creature materialized on the branch he'd been occupying.

Ah.Here was the lost meat-eater, the prey they had searched for.Four strong limbs gripped the branch, while a fifth held the heavy torso aloft and the sixth was held in the air, ready to strike another blow.The shaken hunter looked at the beast, at its long, toothy jaws and heavy cheek muscles, the clawed hands that gripped the branch.

_I'm sorry, this branch is my territory.If you wish to challenge me properly to try and gain territory right, you must register with the department three trees down, and to the left._

The thing had spoken into his head._The thing had spoken into his head!_The beast now looked down its very long nose at the surprised hunter, in what could only be described as a contemptuous glare.

_Until then, please vacate the premises or I shall be forced to evict you again._


End file.
